In a nutshell:
The Rhino Keeper instantly became one of my favorite reads of the year. The story grew roots in my soul with every page read and, a month after finishing it, I am still thinking about it. If you want a historical fiction novel full of heart, found family and the sweetest rhino called Clara (!), look no further.

Synposis:
The story unfolds over two timelines. The first follows ship captain Douwemout van der Meer, who, in the 1740s, is an acclaimed captain of the Dutch fleet (VOC). Through a series of circumstances, he saves a baby rhino called Clara and, faced with no other choice, he decides to bring her and her caretaker Zubin to Europe, so Europeans, who at that time had never seen a real-life rhino, can learn what gentle creatures rhinos are. The second timeline is in present day, when Andrea Clarkson, an American historian, travels to Leiden, Netherlands to help in a historical preservation project. She is faced with discoveries, mysteries, clues and more questions that she can answer, but her story and that of 18th-century Douwe are interwoven in more ways than one.

My thoughts:
I usually enjoy a good historical fiction novel (though it’s not the main genre I read), and this is no different. I loved unraveling the threads of this one small part of the tapestry of world history. I found the story of Douwe and Clara fascinating and I loved the author’s note at the end explaining which parts of the story are real, based on historical evidence. I think it’s truly incredible that this person and this rhino existed and much of their adventures really happened, and that I today have the pleasure of learning about it through the masterful writing of Jillian Forsberg.

While the story in itself is spectacular, that’s not why I primarily loved this book. The essence of the book really lies within its characters, a band of misfits with hearts of gold, who you can’t help but love from page one. Douwe was a really interesting character, one who keeps surprising the reader and a hero, if you will, in the most unconventional and human way. Zubin, Clara’s caretaker who accompanies her from India, is the sweetest and funniest little boy. The way he cares for Clara with so much love, while at the same time growing and discovering new things himself, is endearing and, again, humanizes the story even more. And Clara…Clara is the ray of sunshine in the book, she is the centre, she is simply everything. The way the author described her behaviour made her feel like the main character of the book, and so very real that every time I see a rhino now, I think of Clara. My heart fills with all sorts of emotions when I think of her, as she has truly become a literary friend.

The three MCs also encounter a cast of colourful side characters in their travels, all unique and interesting. Some funny (the goat!), some curious, some kind and good-willed, and others – pure evil. They all have their place in the story and make it what it is. As for the present-day timeline, I liked Andrea as a character, I understood her motivations, and I rooted for her. We even got a glimpse of romance, which I very much liked, as what is a story without love? While I did enjoy her side of the story, I definitely looked forward to the next Clara-Douwe-Zubin chapters more.

Finally, I truly don’t think this book would be what it is for me had I not listened to it as an audiobook. Caroline Hewitt’s narration made the story come to life and made me feel like I was sitting down with real people, telling me their stories. I’ll admit that, as a person who has lived in the Netherlands for many years, Caroline’s Dutch accent in English was not wholly accurate, but I will also say that a Dutch accent is challenging to master, especially if you are not familiar with it and have not heard it repeatedly. So I cannot fault her for it, as she did a great job in making every character sound different and realistic. I felt that every character’s voice was very individualized so I never struggled to know who is speaking, and it contributed to my feeling that the characters are real. Overall, a wonderful narration that enhanced the story and made it a true joy to read (or, well, listen to).

I would recommend this book to anyone (please do check trigger warning before though). This story will touch you deeply and potentially become your new obsession. No? Just me? I’ll take it, but also, if I convince just one more person to give this book a chance, then I am happy. I promise you, you won’t regret it.

Thank you History Through Fiction | Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Audiobooks for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

#TheRhinoKeeper #NetGalley.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an audio copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed this literary, historical fiction audiobook. It was different than what I have been listening to and I enjoyed the uniqueness of the story immensely. 4 out of 5 stars!

I really enjoyed this book... Well, I really enjoyed the historical timeline side of the story. Clara and her band of devoted humans have my entire heart. The present timeline, however, was honestly insufferable. I couldn't stand the protagonist, who was the epitome of that annoying American year-abroad student at a European university. She spends most of the book telling you how deeply traumatised she is that she saw a room of taxidermied animals - the shock of discovering her new fiance had very different values, including being a-okay with big game hunting, barely gets a mention in comparison with *oh no she saw dead animals.* But sure, she's fixated on that as the traumatic bit of the experience, fine. How do you get as far as getting ENGAGED without realising your fiance is the sort of person whose okay with hanging a confederate flag in his family home? I don't know, but I assume it's the same thing that lets you exclaim, to paraphrase, "But did the rhino shipped to 18th century Europe receive veterinary care?!" She's supposed to be a history student btw. Also, the plot of the modern timeline wasn't my jam either. But I really did have such a good time with the other half of the book. Just know that if you get the urge to start skipping Andrea's POV, go ahead, the historical narrative is complete in itself.

I received a free copy of the audiobook from NetGalley in return for an honest review. I found Caroline Hewitt's narration quite pleasing.

The Rhino Keeper reflects on history that I was completely unaware of. I did enjoy the dual timelines that we were given as this gave us perspectives on what the past and present were like in terms of the influence of what Clara (the elephant) had. I did find myself a little more invested in the past perspective only because I felt as if there was more at stake with the captain and those who were in charge of keeping Clara alive. I have not read anything by this author but solely based on this novel, I would gladly read more of her backlist and future work. The narrator for this text was easy to listen to and follow along with throughout the audio. I recommend this for those who want to uncover more parts of history that aren't talked about enough.

I actually haven't finished listening to this, but I'm not sure I will, so will leave my thoughts now.
I love the story set in the past, about bringing a baby rhino from India to Europe. The present day element I can't listen too. The central character is just too incredibly irritating and whingy. Just too annoying, sorry.

A reimagining based on a true happening. . . two story lines intertwined.

One takes place in 1740, and is the subject of the second story - all about Clara, a rhinoceros who travels throughout Europe with her keepers. She supports those same keepers and never sees her homelands again. Even though her circle of supporters was bonded with her, her life was not a natural one and she had my full sympathies.

The second story is present day(ish) arising out of a student's historical mystery hunt while she is in Holland. Andrea Clarkson finds an old grave with a rhino on it. . .and her questions whip her up into a full-on search. . .finding the last chapters of Clara's story.

The two storyline were nicely tied together - one of those ". . .and now for something completely different," stories. . .

*A sincere thank you to Jillian Forsberg, History Through Fiction, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.*

I'm sorry but I just couldn't finish this audiobook and only made it just over a 1/3 of the way through and that was with a struggle - really rare for me because I hate to be beaten by a book.

I loved the idea but I found the sections about Clara quite long and not really that interesting. I really disliked Andrea (and the pronunciation of her name as Ondrea). The constant harking back to her 'trauma' from seeing stuffed animals at her ex boyfriends did not seem relatable or understandable. I'm sorry to be so negative but this just wasn't the book for me at this time

Review: The Rhino Keeper by Jillian Forsberg
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I picked up The Rhino Keeper in audiobook format, and what a wonderful surprise it turned out to be! The narration really brought the story to life—it was engaging, immersive, and transported me right into the heart of the world Jillian Forsberg created.

From the very beginning, I felt drawn into the atmosphere of the story. The pacing was smooth, the world-building vivid, and the characters had a quiet depth that made them easy to root for. There was something so calming and captivating about how the plot unfolded—slow burn, but never dull. It balanced adventure, emotional beats, and subtle suspense beautifully.

What stood out most to me was how fresh and unique the concept felt. It didn’t try too hard but still managed to hold my attention from start to finish. The audiobook format enhanced that experience even more, making every moment feel cinematic.

While this might not be your typical high-octane fantasy, it has a soul of its own—gentle, powerful, and memorable. I'm really glad I gave it a listen, and I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for more from this author.

Highly recommend giving this one a try—especially in audio!

Thank you NetGalley and History Through Fiction | Jillian Forsberg for this ARC Audio Copy!

This is such a beautiful story about an FMC who is strong enough to stand up for herself and the journey of transporting an Indian Rhino across the seas to Europe. It really was beautiful representation of what I believe was a true story and shows just how greed and money can really make anything happen, but how others will suffer to fulfill that process. Clara was such a beautiful character, and I hate that she was being uprooted from her homeland to be shipped across the world to be ogled by the rich, but I am glad that she had caretakers that truly cared about her.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in return for an honest review.

The good:
* It was clear that the author loved rhinos, and had spent some decent time with rhinos and talking to rhino-keepers to make Clara as realistic as possible. Her ear twitching and huffing and leaning were all perfect.
* The actual historical story is so interesting, and generally well-presented.
* Douwe and Zubin are interesting characters and make for many interesting moments.

The irritating:
* The constant repeating of certain catch phrases. Once I'd clocked them it was so distracting.

The bad:
* Every regional accent the narrator attempted, some of which were borderline offensive, and many of which were unintelligible or bizarre. (Scottish was a low point).
* Pretty much the entire modern story arc.
* The idea that Andrea could be about to get engaged and not know anything about this person's history.
* The author having apparently no concept of how university works in Europe.
* The idea that Andrea would win a scholarship to come and... dig up a graveyard that nobody else really cares about?
* Pretty much everything about Andrea to be honest.
* All of the romantic arcs in the whole book, which made me roll my eyes so hard they came out of the back of my head.
* The whole ending, which was just a mad pivot into a completely different genre.

I found myself racing through Andrea's bits with poor grace to get back to Clara and a good story. Overall, a very weird book.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read the arc for The Rhino Keeper. This story was told in a dual timeline. I found the past timeline to be more engaging and fully fleshed out than the present day one. As I read, I wanted to see if there really was a Rhino that traveled through Europe. The Author's note clarified some of the questions that came up for me. The present day plot seemed less believable especially with the Andrea's boyfriend and his family. It was interesting and I kept reading to find out what happened to the Rhino and her keepers.

This was a fantastic story that helps you to understand what life was like for people in the 1700s. The story takes you through this Indian rhinos (almost whole) life as well as her carers. The way the story flipped back and forth between present day and the 1700s was a really fun way to keep the reader interested. While this wasn’t the type of story I usually choose I found it extremely entertaining! The author really did her research and it shows! The narrator was fantastic as well! All in all this was a great story that came with some valuable education along the way.

I really had no idea if I’d like this book going into it, but ended up really enjoying it! I don’t read historical fiction as much as I used to, but I loved learning that Clara and the rhino keeper were both real, but the other characters and parts of their lives were imagined (to line up with the limited information about Clara, her journey, and the rhino keeper).

I also appreciated it being a historical fiction with a decent amount of action that wasn’t a war story. The dual timelines kept things interesting as well, and I loved the feeling like we as the reader were learning about Clara and the other characters from the 18th as the modern day characters learned about them.

The audio narration and production was well done in my opinion, and I had no issues with it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Independent Book Publishers Association for an advanced listening copy of this book!

A Man and a Rhinoceros called Clara is a story about adventure from the first page to the last. This was a well-written story and the audiobook was narrated well. The addition of the historical mystery made the store captivating and at times, I felt as if I were there on land and sea. I enjoyed the two different perspectives on their travels. With ease I was transported back in history and part of this novel. This book is a must for anyone wanting an adventure back in time that will not disappoint.

A fascinating blend of historical fiction and present-day mystery, *The Rhino Keeper* offers both heart and wonder. Clara the rhino is the beating heart of this story, and her journey across 18th-century Europe—alongside the kind-hearted captain Douwemout—feels fresh, charming, and genuinely emotional. The dual timelines are well balanced, with Andrea’s modern-day investigation adding intrigue and momentum. There’s real tenderness in the relationships—both human and animal—and a thoughtful exploration of legacy, storytelling, and the marvels that shape history. A captivating tribute to an unforgettable creature and the people who loved her.

I want to thank NetGalley for the chance to review this book!
The story is done in duel prospective, the story is about a rhino named Clara, being taken across 18 sentry Europe by a a sea captain. The other prospective is Andrea Clarkson that uncovers a historical mystery. I like the story listened to audiobook narrator was pleasant to listen too. was very well told. I will say not something I would probably listen to normally but once I got into the story I was pleasantly surprised. I would recommend to people that want history along with a good story.

Thank you #NetGalley for the opportunity to preview this audio book.
While I listened, I also borrowed the ebook from hoopla to fully understand some of the words and names.
I did like this book and found the historical part of the dual timeline really interesting.
The current timeline was pretty predicable. However, I do think great thought was put into quickly developing the characters to support the storyline.
This book was not as endearing to me as "West with Giraffes" but still a good storyline to increase awareness of the dire loss of this magnificent creature due to ignorance.
The narration is really good.

Unfortunately, I decided to dnf this book, I could not find myself getting into it enough to want to pick it back up after putting it down.

The concept is so fascinating, and I love the idea of following two timelines. The past timeline is the journey with the rhino and its keeper (Clara sounds adorable), and the future timeline is about discovering that old journey of the rhino, and it follows a woman who is passionate about protecting animals, much like the characters of the past.

Listening to the audio, there were far too many characters to keep them all straight and it caused a lot of confusion for me.

While this certainly has its audience in historical fiction readers, I unfortunately am not that audience, despite my deep love for rhinos which inspired me to pick up this book in the first place.

Such a sweet story of the bond between an animal and it's humans. I enjoyed the dual timeline povs and I found the book entertaining and educational. The cover of this book is just so pretty and the narrator for the audiobook did a fantastic job with all the diverse characters and accents.
Overall a really good read.

The Rhino Keeper is a touching and beautifully written story that highlights the powerful bond between humans and wildlife. Jillian Forsberg delivers an inspiring tale of courage and conservation, and Caroline Hewitt’s narration brings it to life with warmth and emotional depth. A must-listen for anyone who loves heartfelt stories and unforgettable characters.